The Fashionable Spy (22 page)

Wellington’s marriage was a case in point. Victoria suspected that before long, if not at this stage, the man would supplant his wife with another woman. Oblique references to his visiting Harriette Wilson, that queen of the courtesans, had reached Victoria’s ears. She supposed that was to be expected of a man who no longer could tolerate his wife.

Wives were supposed to expect that sort of thing, even welcome it, if they feared excessive births and the declining health that went with that state. It seemed to Victoria that the most important thing a wife did was to produce one child after another for her husband. While a wife went about in that fruitful condition, he waltzed off to enjoy the favors of other women. Being in the family way apparently involved the husband only at the beginning.

That was not what Victoria wanted in the least. And since it was unlikely she might find true love and faithfulness, she would rather go without, thank you very much. She repressed the ironic twist of her mouth at this thought, while offering the letter to Elizabeth in hopes of distracting her.

“I believe you judge Leighton too harshly, Miss Elizabeth,” Sir Edward scolded her gently as he watched the sisters.

“This is from Geoffrey! What does he say?” Elizabeth demanded as she unfolded the missive. She completely ignored Sir Edward’s defense of Lord Leighton.

“I suggest you take it along to share with Julia. It arrived not long ago by special messenger, some young soldier who had returned from the Continent.” Turning to Edward, she added, “I wish I knew his name. He may be injured and in need of a helping hand.”

“Perhaps Evenson made a record of it. I shall check.”

She watched him depart, then gave a sigh. While they were no closer to solving the curious and difficult cipher, she felt better with having another simply to discuss the matter with, and one to whom she might turn.

“Some of this must be in code, for it makes no sense whatsoever,” Elizabeth murmured, scanning the letter.

Victoria quickly explained; then Elizabeth took the letter along down the hall to give to Julia. None of the sisters would be inclined to repeat anything contained in the letter, especially the portion in code.

Sir Edward found Victoria standing by the desk, another frown on her face, as again she struggled with the cipher. She rubbed her forehead, sighing with exasperation. “If only the dratted man who wrote this muddle had a better hand. It is dreadful.”

“Why do we not take a drive out in the fresh air? It would do us both good. Perhaps you would like to visit the carriage builder to inspect the progress on your coach?”

Victoria was torn, and her indecision clearly sat on her brow. “We need to know the names contained in this list. From what little we have gleaned otherwise, there is a group of men who seek to thwart Wellington at every turn. How can such traitors be permitted to continue their evil work? I feel guilty every time I put down this page.”

“It will not help if you become ill. I have seen a man driven to the point of madness trying to solve a difficult code. Every year the enemy, whoever it might be, tries to improve and perfect a more difficult means of concealing secrets and military information. We do the same. We shall break it in due time. Come”—he held out his hand—”we shall go for a drive in the park, and stop by the carriage builder. Evenson gave me the name and direction of the young fellow who brought the letter. If you like, we can stop by there as well.”

“Very well. My head aches dreadfully and I fear it will only become worse if I remain at the desk.” She carefully locked their papers away, meeting his approving gaze with a nod.

She crossed to pass him on her way to her room, and Edward placed a detaining hand on her arm. Victoria paused, looking up at him with her question plain in her eyes.

“I admire your devotion to the cause. It is as rare as you are gifted. Now, don a pretty bonnet. I shall send for my carriage immediately.’’

Her face relaxed in a smile, and she floated up the stairs with a lighter heart. They had heard from her brother, and he was well, if impatient. Why did young men want things to “happen”? Whether it be war, or life in general, they sought action, diversion.

After she had tidied her hair and put on her favorite jade pelisse with the pretty bonnet that looked so well with it, she returned to the entry. Evenson was in conversation with Sir Edward. Victoria pulled on her gloves as she observed the fine deference the butler gave to Sir Edward. It certainly spoke highly for him. Evenson was as discriminating as the most pompous of London majordomos.

They entered the carriage, Victoria taking note that Sir Edward did not seem as dependent upon his cane today.

“Your knee feels a bit better?”

He gave the signal to proceed, then replied, “A trifle.”

“Good.” She lapsed into silence, not sure what to say to him.

“We shall succeed in our efforts.” He reached over to place a comforting pat on her hand. “Someone must be quite certain of it, to be trying to plow through your belongings.”

Victoria glanced at the coachman, then decided that any words she spoke would be drowned by the sound of the wheels on the cobbled streets, not to mention the considerable traffic and hawking of the vendors.

“What has me puzzled is his entering my bedroom. Would he not be more likely to find what he wants in the library?”

“Too obvious. The man believes a woman would conceal an important paper among her personal things—and so he tears apart your drawers, hunts among your things.’’

Victoria nodded, knowing her conversation was unseemly but practical. She could not be missish in her work. “I suppose so.”

They entered Hyde Park and drove along the green expanse dotted with magnificent trees. Inconsequential people occasioned the park at this hour of the day, which suited Victoria quite well.

“I see a familiar face,” she pointed out to Edward. “Our genial gentleman is out driving with Miss Flowerday. How odd he chooses this hour.”

“We do as well, Victoria. Perhaps Padbury wishes to avoid the sort of speculation you fear.”

“How did you know that?”

He merely smiled and refused to reply.

“There are times I believe I should have taken advantage of you while at the windmill—after you fell asleep— to give you a good thump on the head,” Victoria said with asperity.

“I suffered somewhat similar feelings, only mine did not extend to a thump on the head, but something more interesting.” Edward half-turned to study his companion.

Victoria felt a blush creep over her cheeks, and dared not meet his gaze. However, it did not suit her plans to flirt with the man she found so fascinating. She repressed a smile, and chided him, her eyes sparkling, “That was most improper, even if you
did
merely think it.”

“Most likely,” he agreed. “Victoria, what if someone digs around, discovers what happened in the windmill? Were a suspicious man to hunt, he might find that farmer who gave you a ride, put together the information regarding your damaged post chaise.”

“Nothing happened in the windmill,” she whispered, but her eyes grew wary.

“That is what we say. Yet who would believe a healthy man, or even an injured man like myself, would carry a beautiful young woman into a deserted windmill and then claim nothing occurred in the next two days?” His voice reflected more than polite concern.

“Has someone said something that you have heard and not told me about?” She swiftly turned to him, placing her free hand tightly over his in her concern. “I shall not compel any man into marriage. I think it utterly unconscionable.” She searched his face for a clue to the truth. Would he conceal such a story from her, with a futile attempt to keep her from hearing of it?

“I admire you for your position. But you must consider mine as well, Victoria. I do not relish being considered a seducer of a lady of quality. An unmarried lady, at that.” He gave her a wry look. “I doubt if our friendship has gone totally unnoticed. While I am not living in your pocket, someone may learn I have ordered a traveling coach for you, and refuse to believe the truth—that it is to repay your family for the one ruined in the crash. What then? Gossip can destroy you totally. You will be out of polite society in that event. As would your sisters.”

Her sisters! She raised horrified eyes to his. “Julia insists she has no desire to wed, but Elizabeth must make a good marriage. She is young and pretty, and possessed of a most devoted nature.”

Sir Edward nodded. “I have asked you before, I believe, yet you avoided an answer. Do you not plan to wed?”

She waved a dismissing hand. “I live a pleasant life with my dog and sisters. If Elizabeth marries, Julia and I shall find a little place of our own, for as you pointed out, Geoffrey must have an heir.”

“Unnatural girl,” Edward murmured not far from her ear.

The conversation drew to a halt when the vehicle pulled up before the carriage builder. Edward assisted Victoria down with a possessive touch, then tucked her hand close to his side as they walked inside to inspect the progress on her coach. Their arrival was noted by Lord Leighton, who happened to be on the way to an appointment with a friend in the area.

When they finished their inspection of the chaise in progress, and Victoria was satisfied that all was being properly done as to the furbishment of the interior, they left the carriage maker’s and continued on along through the streets to an area alien to Victoria.

“Your young soldier.” Sir Edward gave Victoria an approving look as she nodded her appreciation of his thoughtfulness. He followed her into the modest dwelling, where they spent some time chatting with the soldier and his young wife, sipping tea, and talking of the war.

“That was nice,” Victoria concluded as they left the simple lodgings sometime later. “I so wished to thank him. It had been quite long since we heard from Geoffrey, and it was excessively kind of this man to take such trouble.”

“The mails are slow, not to mention costly, coming from Spain,” Edward agreed. “He seems a good chap, and I shall be happy to put in a good word for him.”

Victoria sat back in the carriage, content with her day. If the evening presented a threat, that was something she would consider later.

At the dinner table Julia, Elizabeth, and Victoria were all oddly silent. Each seemed to be preoccupied and murmured only vague general comments, if anything.

“I say we ought to share what is on our minds,” Elizabeth burst out after some time.

Startled, Victoria nodded hesitant agreement.

“Lord Leighton came here again today. Said something about having seen you with Sir Edward and implied that it was acceptable that he come to visit. Did you give him leave?” Elizabeth demanded of Victoria.

“I fear I did not see him.”

“I suspected as much,” Elizabeth said with an annoyed air. “I complained about his sleeping here the past two nights. All he did was adjust his cream leather gloves and talk about the dangers from some villain. Still, he did me a favor.’’

“That’s nice, dear,” Julia murmured.

Casting a dark look at Julia, Elizabeth turned to Victoria and continued, “I wanted to go along the Thames to sketch a scene, and he accompanied me. I suspect he had nothing better to do and found me amusing. Yet I felt safer with him at my side. He is intimidating, you know. Those burly-looking fellows took one look at him and turned away from us.” It was clear that Elizabeth was impressed, if she did not precisely say so.

“Indeed,” Victoria said in a subdued voice.

“He insisted that I am in danger and came along to discourage any trouble. Although he calls me infant and teases me like Geoffrey.” She sighed, then added, “I expect I need to stay with Aunt Bel to acquire some polish from her.’’

“That might be nice,” Julia said, her mind clearly elsewhere.

“Well, he carried a pistol in his pocket and said he had a handy pair of fives. Even if he does not care a jot about me, it is rather interesting to be protected by a rake.”

Victoria shared a commiserating look with her younger sister, then turned her attention to Julia. “What has happened today to give you such an abstracted air?’’

“Oh, does it show to such a degree? If you must know, I was at Lord Temple’s house today, painting, you know. His sister. Lady Chatterton, was also there. She talked, or I should say gossiped, until I nearly got the headache.”

“Did she say anything to upset you?”

“She mentioned the Princess Charlotte flirting with the Duke of Devonshire, and how furious her father will be when he hears about it. It seems Lady Chatterton feels his daughter must marry higher than a mere duke.”

“And what else transpired?” Victoria queried, knowing there was something else, since Julia had been in the dismals again, which was unlike her.

“She treated me as though I did not exist, like I was transparent.”

Elizabeth nodded sagely. “You mean like a servant. I seem to recall hearing she is a dreadful snob.”

“I have experienced all I care to of her snobbery, I can tell you that.” Julia gave a distressed sigh.

“How did Lord Temple react to her behavior?” Victoria inquired, wondering if Julia was succumbing to his charms.

Julia chuckled. “It seemed as though he was most annoyed with his sister, for I suspect he invented the appointment he suddenly recalled. She was very put out when he bustled her from the house moments after I left. He asked me to return tomorrow, and I shall. But he took care his sister did not overhear our talk.’’

“Well, then, it seems to me that his lordship has a proper sense of what is right and you need not worry.’’ But Victoria was concerned, for this was the first time, other than Mr. Padbury, that Julia had evinced an interest in a gentleman. And Lord Temple was a far cry from Mr. Padbury in every way. She joined her sisters in leaving the table, strolling along to the drawing room with a restless heart.

To Victoria the evening dragged past, minute by minute. Would the intruder return tonight? Could she sleep, knowing that each night made it more likely he would return if he truly intended to hunt for papers—the special papers she had used when trying to decipher the message and list? Papers now locked in her safe.